The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-01-03
GREAT CONSPIRACY.
JACOB ruoMrsoN's SCHEME

| -. :
JACOB THoMpsoN's sCHEM1
To bring About tho Success Of tho Southern
Coufcdsracy-1hc "sons Of Liberty
and tho Part ,hcy were to Play.
A plot that aiiscnrricd. X
LOUISVILLE, Jan. 1.-The January mum.
ber Of tho Southern Birouac will contain q
second paper on 1.-THE Northwestern Con.
spiracy." In this tho writer devotcu much
space to narrative Of the efforts made by
Jacob Thompson, SPECIAL Commissioner
OF the Confederate States in Canada" in
the summer OF 1904, with a view to inter.
esting prominent men Of the North in tho
furtherance Of peace policy, and this
falling to create diasension and dsunion
in tho Northwest.
Among the Northern men who went to
Toronto to confer with Thompson was
Judge Jeremiah s. Black. Judge Black
Was anxious to find some plan that woull
lead to peace; but his labor was iruitless
Thompson was also in communication
with Vallsndipham, who was at this timo
In Canada. Vsllandigham explained to
Thompson the character OF the secret go.
cisty OF "Sons Of Liberty" OF which hs
was Grand Commander. He aesured
Thompson that the order was in all three
hundred thousand strong. There were
eighty.iye thousand members, he said, In
Illinois, fifty thousand in Indiana and
forty thousand in Ohio. The Order owed
It's existence, 1t was claimed, to an sppre.
hension that tho progress Of events was
leading to military despotisn,, apaipst
which 1t was necessary to orsanizs and
arm. n4s05F r. - 800 Il.
Here follows narrative Of the neyo!ia.
tions between Thompson and Vallaudig-
ham with view to the concerted upris.
ing Of the "sons Of Liberty" The Goth Of
July was fixed as the date for uuspoken
resistence, but as the time drew near a
conference OF delegates met at Chicago
and decided to postpone action until
August IL. There was further postpone
ments, so that the decisive step was never
taken. The article closes with the follow.
ing letter: 5.1f
~. TORONTO, August 90, 1864. :
"L1on John Stidttt, Miaister 10 France: Hon jome,
H. AiWh Ins!e' to Great Btitiia: n =
"GENTLEMEN-In May last, accompanied
by the Hon. O. Q. Clay, Of Alabams,
was duly commissioned by the President
OF the Confederate States, provided with
funds, and instructed to proceed to Canada
without delay and ascertain ths public
sentiment and feeling Of the people Of the
United States, and go far as practicable
and honorable to utilizs the prejaaices e1-
isting against the conduc. CT the: war for
the advancement Of the interests CT the
Confederate States. AT Montreal we had
various conferences with representative
men Of the North, with view to forming
in the ouiset some basis which should
govern our opinion as to the best course
to purepe thereafter. Grant was advanc-
ing on Richmond, and the papers Of, the
North contended that the battles Of spott-
sylvania, the Wilderness and Cold Harbor
were victories, and that Grants masterly
flank movements would eventually result
in destroying Lees army in front Of Rich
mond; that Sherman was advancing on
Atlanta with sufficient force, and that
he would inevitably defeat johnson in
Georgia. Thus, animated by successful
military movements, reasonable conf
dence existed in the currency OF 1.-THE United
States, and beyond this those classes OF
people found in the Northern and Eastern
States who habitually make money out OF
wars, were growing rich thereby, aud used
Whatsoever influence they possessed in
favor OF its continued prosecution.
PEACE DEMOCRATS.
"All things considered, the result Of the
conferences We had held at Montreal led
me to conclude that Lincoln would bs rs.
elected overwhelmingly, und thus there
would be continued tho present policy oil
the Administration for tour yea,s more.
In encouragement, I went to Windsor,
whore an arrangement had been made
with the Hon. Clement L. Vallandigham,
who expressed the sentiment Of the peace
party Of the United States, that if Grant
fxi!sd before Richmond, and SheI man WAS
not successful in Georgia, peace caudi.
date might be nominated and elected to
the Presidency. He informed me Of the
existence in the Western States OF an order
known as the s'sons Of Liberty" the basis
Of whose organization was State sovereign.
ty, States rights and individual freedom,
and whose rank and file could ,bs relied
upon to obey the orders Of the officers
placed over them, The United States
Government had Confederate prisoners
at Chicago and Rock Island, Ills, amount
ing to about fifteen thousand, and at Indi.
uapolis, Ind, shout FIVE Thousand. Tho
membership Of The Sons Of Liberty is in
illinois, Indiana and Ohio, in the a2sre.
gate about one hundred and seventy
thousand. 1t can be, confidently feel,
80 arranged that these States shall be or
ganised into Western Confeheracy,
with such advantages as will enable them
to dictate terms OF z peace to
the United States Government. To this
end am addressing every energy that ia
practicable and reasonable to assist the
Northwestern people, and everything
ustiaes the belief that success will ulti.
mateiy attend the undertaking, It ia
proposed by the Northwestern .peonle to
take possession Of the present orgsnizsd
| koNtA tA.fAoAl1 VI eAo tlIeo 0tAle6 ueu-
toned, and organize provisional govern.
ments for the purposes in view. The
severity Of military orders and 8 total dis.
regard OF private rights and personal
liberty in the Western States Of Kentucky,
Missouri, Indiana, Illinois and Ohio has
aroused the people to madness, and pre-
pared them in their desperation to seize
upon the first Rlimmer Of hcpo to dare ali,
and IN doing 80 to regain what they have
lost. In order to arouse the people politi.
cal meetings, called Peace Meetings' have
been held, and inAammatory aJd,essea
delivered, and whenever orators have ex.
preased themselves for peace with the
restoration Of the Union, and il that can:
not be, then peace GA any terms, the
cheers and clawors Of tho masses have
known no bounds. 49, ( g I5,fE.1,T3Is. Is.5l
"a correspondence has been recently
had between some members Of our com.
mission and representatives Of the United
States Government, 3 copy Of which you
have no doubt seen. After an interview
| With Mr. Eyaa1av NJ 7; ;poolr h,,t L,o,,